Environmental Hazards

Our job as your professional home inspector is to alert you, to the extent possible, to unknown problems and potential environmental hazards in your current or potential house. Just because some of these hazards may be invisible, this does not mean they call for less vigilance on your part. Ours is a non-invasive visual inspection of your property. While we may be able to alert you to possible problems, our basic inspections are no substitutes for specialized contaminant testing.

ASBESTOS

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to many products to strengthen them and provide fire resistance and heat insulation. If disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers which can be inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos material that crumbles easily if handled or which has been scraped, sawed, or sanded into a powder is more likely to create a health hazard. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer of lining of chest and abdominal cavity), and asbestosis (lungs scarred with the tissue). Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos insulation. Most of today’s products do not contain asbestos. If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged or you plan changes that might disturb it, you require a professional for repair and removal. Before home remodeling, find out if asbestos is present.

Excerpts from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Asbestos and Vermiculite”.

Lead is a highly toxic metal used for many years in products in and around homes. Lead’s adverse health effects range from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death. Because their bodies are growing quickly, children age 6 and under are at greatest risk. Primary sources of lead exposure for children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust, and lead-contaminated residential soil. Lead might be present in any home built up until the 1940s. Rarely found in source water, lead can enter tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, joints, and solder. New homes are also at risk: even legally “lead-free” pipes can contain up to 8 percent lead and leave significant amounts of lead in the water for the first several months after installation. Since the 1980s, EPA and its federal partners have banned or limited lead used in consumer products, including residential paint. Federal regulations limiting the amount of lead in paint sold for residential use started in 1978. If your property was built before 1978 or you are considering remodeling, renovating, or repair, you may wish to think about lead inspection. Water quality can be compromised by such other trace elements as iron, excess acidity, manganese, calcium, magnesium, mineral salts, hydrogen sulphide, selenium, chromium, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium.

Excerpts from U.S. Department of Environmental Protection, “Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil”.

Mold (fungi) is present everywhere, indoors and outdoors. There are more than 100,000 species of mold, at least 1,000 of which are common in America. Species of Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus are some of the most commonly found species. Mold most likely grows in bathrooms, basements, and anywhere else where there is dampness or water. Many types of mold routinely encountered aren’t hazardous to healthy individuals. Too much exposure to mold may cause a worsening of such conditions as asthma, hay fever, or other allergies. Fevers and breathing problems in a vulnerable individual are possible but unusual. When moldy material becomes damaged or disturbed, spores, which are reproductive bodies similar to seeds, can be released into the air. Exposure can occur if people inhale the spores, directly handle moldy material, or accidentally ingest the spores. Since all molds need water to grow, mold can grow almost anywhere where there is high humidity, dampness, or water damage. Most often molds are confined to areas near the water source. Removing the source of moisture through repairs or dehumidification is crucial in preventing mold growth. Correcting underlying water damage and cleaning the affected area is the best way to treat mold. If mold contamination is extensive, a professional abatement company may be needed. Excerpts from The New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Environmental & Occupational Disease Epidemiology, “Facts About Mold”.

Radon is a radioactive gaseous element produced in the disintegration of radium, a radioactive metallic element. It cannot be detected by the senses and can be confirmed only by sophisticated instruments and laboratory tests. The gas enters a house through pores and cracks in the concrete or through floorboards of poorly ventilated crawlspaces, especially when wet ground allows the gas to escape easily through the soil and disperse in the atmosphere. Radon is a lung carcinogen: the National Academy of Sciences estimates radon causes some 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths annually. The U.S. Surgeon General and the EPA recommend all houses be tested for radon. Houses with high radon levels can be fixed.

Termites, which play a positive role in recycling wood and plant material, become a problem when they consume structural lumber. Every year thousands of U.S. housing units require termite treatment. These pests cause serious damage to wooden structures and posts and can also attack stored food, household furniture, and books. Successful termite management requires special skills, including a working knowledge of building construction and an understanding of termite biology and identification. In most cases, it is advisable to hire a professional pest control company for the inspection and control problem.

Wood-boring beetle larvae feed on wood and wood products. Adults of some species bore holes into plaster, plastic, and soft metals. Many species cause problems when emerging from wood in newly constructed buildings because they leave small circular or oval exit holes in the wood. To avoid these problems, infested wood must be kiln-fried before being used for lumber. The species Deathwatch Beetles is primarily found in soft woods (girder, beams, foundation timbers, some types of furniture, with some species attacking books). False Powerpost female beetles bore a tunnel, or egg gallery, into wood or other materials, then deposit eggs in pores or cracks within the tunnel. Adults of some species bore through such soft metal as lead and silver, as well as plaster and other non-wood materials. Affected structural wood should be removed and replaced whenever possible.

Wood Wasps and Horntails. Wood wasp damage in buildings is likely to be more cosmetic than structurally weakening. Emerging wood wasps can chew through any substance: wallboard or plaster walls, hardwood floors, carpeting, linoleum, non-ceramic floor tiles, and other interior surfaces.

Carpenter Ants. Several species can damage wood in building and other structures. Though ants don’t eat wood, they bore into it to make their nests, sometimes causing serious structural damage. Also, they nest in hollow doors, cracks and crevices, furniture, wall voids, and termite galleries. New building infestation occurs when land-cleaning in the area disturbs existing native colonies.

Client Testimonials

Thank you very much Scott for a very comprehensive report. I have been a home owner since 1978 and have bought and sold many homes since then–this is the most comprehensive report I have ever received.
I would be pleased to be used as a reference by you.
Thank you very much,

Kathy

Thank you, Scott….I really appreciate your input….
Thank you so much for doing all you have for me…..it seems you go above & beyond for folks….Thank you!
Take care.

Robin

Hi Scott,
Becky and I would like to commend you for your inspection report.
We found it to be thorough, professional, and user-friendly. It will be very useful as we proceed as first time homeowners. Thanks so much!
Best,

Rob and Becky

Thanks, Scott.
We really appreciate the efficiency and thoroughness of your inspection.
Best,

Kathie

Scott,
Just wanted to thank you for a thorough and well-structured inspection report – it is leaps and bounds more helpful than the previous inspection report the sellers had done a few years back.
Many thanks,

Mike

Thank you very much Scott. The report is very comprehensive and the photos provide excellent documentation. Greatly appreciated!

Cynthia

Scott,
I just wanted to thank you for the excellent job you did on this inspection. My Father-in-law is a contractor and he was very impressed with your work.
Thanks again.

Pat

Dear Scott,
Many thanks for your inspection of what will, hopefully, be our new home.

We are grateful to you for the wonderfully thorough, easy-to-understand, and professional report you provided to us as a result of your inspection. We are so pleased with your work and happy to have hired you for the inspection.

Your inspection report will help us now and in the years to come.

Thanks again and best wishes.

Heidi & Christopher

Hi Scott,

Thank you for the detailed inspection report and for doing a great, thorough inspection on our future home. It was nice to have met you and we thank you very much!

Amela

This is perfect; thank you Scott. Magda and I (and my dad) appreciated how thorough you were and the amount of detail you put in the report.

Jeff

Scott,
Thank you so much for inspecting the property and for your professionalism and attention to detail. I have printed the report and will look at it when I get a few minutes (am at work).

All my best

Tara

Scott,

Thank you very much for all the detail you put into my home report and doing the radon test. I have to tell you I am very impressed! Anyone looking to buy a home I will be sure to give them your name. I could not believe how top to bottom you went over the home that I hope to purchase.

Once again, thank you!

Corine

Scott,
I never got a chance to thank you for your report. You do excellent work.

Thanks again and enjoy your week.

Paul

Hi Scott,
Thank you so much!
Not only is it good news all around, but going through the house with you and then having such a detailed report is a wonderful “homeowner’s guide”.
Again, thanks,
Stay warm and happy skiing,

Sarah

Thanks again Scott for your dedication. The inspection reports are professional. We hope to resolve all issues with the seller and ourselves as a result of your efforts.
Regards

Robert

Hi Scott,
Thanks for your help, and for this thorough report. I just read it quickly and it covers all the areas we discussed – certainly will provide us both with a “to do list” as we consider our weekend projects over the next few months.
It really was a pleasure to work with you and to gain your perspectives relative to this property. Thanks!